Power auger



H. J. MYER POWER AUGER May 12, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 9, 1962 Herbert J Myer INVENTOR. BY @mm MMfiMg May 12, 1964 H. .1. MYER POWER AUGER Filed Feb. 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent ,0

3,132,740 POWER AUGER Herbert J. Myer, RR. 1, Box 77, Cylinder, Iowa Filed Feb. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 172,182 3 Claims. (Cl. 198233) This invention relates to conveying devices, and more particularly to a power operated auger device for moving grain as ear corn from a crib.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a poweroperated auger device which is easily portable, very maneuverable, and is designed for more efficient unloading of grain cribs.

It is another object of the invention to provide a power operated auger which may be easily constructed of conventional commercially available parts, is simple in design, is economical to manufacture and is durable in use.

It is another object of the invention to provide a power operated auger which reduces the amount of manual labor necessary for unloading grain, especially ear corn, from grain cribs. The anger is especially convenient when the corn is in temporary slat cribs, or when the corn does not feed down easily by itself.

It is another object of the invention to provide a grain unloader or conveying device having improved support means therefor.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 4-4 in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 55 in FIGURE 4.

With continuing reference to the drawings wherein identical reference numerals throughout the various views indicate the same parts, it can be seen that the power auger includes a pair of parallel tubular side frame members 12 and 14 having aligned rear ends and pointed forward ends 16 and 18. The side frame members 12 and 14 are rigidly secured together by four parallel angle iron members 20, 22, 24 and 26 which extend transversely between the side frame members and are welded thereto. The angle members 22 and 24 are of the same length, are secured to the top surfaces of the side frame members, and have coplanar upper surfaces for supporting a small internal combustion engine such as a 2 horsepower Clinton engine as indicated at 28. The engine 28 is secured to the angle members 22 and 24 by means of a plurality of nut and bolt assemblies 30 which extend through aligned apertures in the frame of the engine and angle members.

The angle members and 26 extend between the adjacent side surfaces of the side frame members and the upper legs thereof are substantially coplanar with the upper surfaces of the side frame members. The angle member 26 is substantially longer than the other angle members and its vertical leg 32 has a pair of circular bores in its opposite ends for receiving the side frame members 12 and 14.

A conventional bearing assembly 34 is secured below the center of the upper leg 36 of the angle member 26 by means of a plurality of nut and bolt assemblies 38 which extend through aligned apertures in the angle member and bearing assembly. A similar bearing assembly 34' is secured below the center of the angle member 20 3,132,740 Patented May 12, 1964 ice by a plurality of nut and bolt assemblies 40. The bearing assemblies 34 and 34 have aligned bores 42 therein for receiving an anger shaft 44.

An auger assembly 46 includes a central tubular shaft 48 which receives the auger shaft 44 and is secured thereto by conventional means. The tubular shaft 48 is integrally connected to a spiral flight 50.

An angle member 52 is Welded in an upright position on the upper surface of leg 36 of angle member 26 as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. A U-shaped channel member 54 is secured to the angle member 52 by a plurality of nut and bolt assemblies 56 which extend through aligned bores in the channel member 54 and angle member 52. The bolt also extends through spacing washers 58 located between the members 52 and 54. The vertically extending parallel legs 60 and 62 of the channel member 54 have a pair of aligned bores therein in which is journaled a shaft 64. Axial movement of the shaft relative to the channel member 54 is prevented by a pair of washers 66 Welded to the shaft. The shaft 64 has a small sprocket 67 and a relatively large V-belt pulley 68 secured thereto in parallel spaced relationship. The engine 28 has a relatively small V-belt pulley 70 secured to its drive shaft 72. The auger shaft 44 has a relatively large sprocket 74 fixed thereto coplanar with the sprocket 66. A V-belt 76 is looped over and tensioned between the pulleys 6S and 70. A conventional link-type driving chain 78 encircles and drivingly connects the sprockets 74 and 66.

A pair of hollow box-like guides 80 and 82 are secured on the outer sides of the side frame members 16 and 18 respectively so as to extend in a vertical direction. A pair of struts 84 and 86 which are rectangular in cross section are slidably received within the hollow guides 80 and 82. Each of the struts 84 and 86 has a plurality of aligned spaced bores 88 therein which are adapted to be aligned with a bore in one of the guides so that the struts and guides may be adjustably secured together by a bolt 90 extending through the aligned bores. An axle member 92 extends between and is secured to the lowermost ends of the struts. A pair of wheels 94 and 96 are journaled on the outer ends of the axle member 92.

In operation, the engine 28 drives the auger 46 at a relatively low r.p.m. by means of pulleys 70 and 68, belt 76, shaft 64, sprockets 66 and 74 and chain 78. The power auger is easily maneuvered to the desired location by holding onto the side frames 12 and 14 and rolling the auger on the wheels 94 and 96. The auger 46 is inserted through the slats or an opening of the corn crib near the bottom thereof and the side frame members 12 and 14 support the forward portion of the auger as they rest on the slats or some portion of the grain crib. The auger v46 drags the ears of corn out of the crib into the sheller drags, feed grinder hopper, or conveyor, not shown. Since the auger is near the bottom of the supply of corn in the crib, gravity continually forces the ears of corn down between the sections of the spiral flight 56 so that the auger may remove the corn from the crib in a continuous operation. Since there is no cover or shield on the auger, jamming is eliminated.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resoited to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A portable power auger conveyor assembly comprising a frame including a pair of parallel horizontal rods interconnected by stationary bracing means, roller means below the frame for supporting it, vertically adjustable struts connecting said roller means to said horizontal rods at the rear thereof, an anger rotatably and removably mounted intermediate said horizontal rods beneath said bracing means and projecting forwardly therefrom past the ends of said horizontal rods, whereby removal of said auger from the conveyor assembly enables the assembly to be rolled to a new location by grasping the ends of said horizontal rods in wheel-barrow fashion, said horizontal rods serving as a support for the assembly when the anger is in operative position, said auger including an uncovered spiral flight to prevent jamming of material carried thereby, power means mounted on said bracing means and transmission means supported above and below said bracing means drivingly connecting the auger to the power means.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said power means includes an internal combustion engine and said a transmission means includes a belt and chain reduction drive.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said extensions are pointed, one of said rods being longer than the other. 7

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A PORTABLE POWER AUGER CONVEYOR ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A FRAME INCLUDING A PAIR OF PARALLEL HORIZONTAL RODS INTERCONNECTED BY STATIONARY BRACING MEANS, ROLLER MEANS BELOW THE FRAME FOR SUPPORTING IT, VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE STRUTS CONNECTING SAID ROLLER MEANS TO SAID HORIZONTAL RODS AT THE REAR THEREOF, AN AUGER ROTATABLY AND REMOVABLY MOUNTED INTERMEDIATE SAID HORIZONTAL RODS BENEATH SAID BRACING MEANS AND PROJECTING FORWARDLY THEREFROM PAST THE ENDS OF SAID HORIZONTAL RODS, WHEREBY REMOVAL OF SAID AUGER FROM THE CONVEYOR ASSEMBLY ENABLES THE ASSEMBLY TO BE ROLLED TO A NEW LOCATION BY GRASPING THE ENDS OF SAID HORIZONTAL RODS IN WHEEL-BARROW FASHION, SAID HORIZONTAL RODS SERVING AS A SUPPORT FOR THE ASSEMBLY WHEN THE AUGER IS IN OPERATIVE POSITION, SAID AUGER INCLUDING AN UNCOVERED SPIRAL FLIGHT TO PREVENT JAMMING OF MATERIAL CARRIED THEREBY, POWER MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID BRACING MEANS AND TRANSMISSION MEANS SUPPORTED ABOVE AND BELOW SAID BRACING MEANS DRIVINGLY CONNECTING THE AUGER TO THE POWER MEANS. 